Mercury
Star Dust Monsoon Quartz | size = Medium | astronomicalsymbol = ☿''' | radius = 1,516 miles | planettype = Terrestrial | overall = 0 | confirmed = 0 | unconfirmed = 0 | daylength = 59 days | yearlength = 88 days }} '''Mercury is the first planet in the Solar System. Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the system. A day in Mercury takes 59 Earth days and a year in the planet takes 88 Earth days, having the shortest year length. Appearance Mercury is a medium-sized terrestrial planet known as the innermost planet of the Solar System. Due to its lack of atmosphere, the sky exposes the space, being all dark. Mercury is normally coloured with Star Dust, Monsoon and Quartz. Mercury is also portrayed in blue and yellow. These are obviously false colors, and are only used to enhance the physical, chemical and mineralogical differences between the rocks that make Mercury's surface. Name Mercury is named after the god of communication and messages, Mercury. Besides the god role, Mercury also works as the guide to the underworld's souls. Mercury can also refer to a chemical element that looks metallic. Even Mercury's astronomical symbol relates to this god. Astronomical symbol Mercury's astronomical symbol is shown as ☿'. Mercury's astronomical symbol strongly resembles Venus' astronomical symbol. However, the only difference between the two is that Mercury does have curves at the top of its symbol, while Venus doesn't. This sign is said to represent Mercury's head and winged cap. Orbit and rotation Mercury's orbit makes the shape of an egg, which takes the planet as close as 29 million miles and as far as 43 million miles from the Sun. It speeds around the Sun every 88 days, traveling at nearly 29 miles per second, being the fastest planet. Mercury spins slowly and completes one rotation every 59 days. However, when going in the maximum fast speed, each rotation is not accompanied with the sunrise. Mercury's rotation axis is tilted 2 degrees with the respect to its orbit's plane around the Sun. Surface Mercury does have a grey and brown floor as the planet's color. Its surface resembles the Moon's surface. Mercury can't have life due to its hot temperature and toxicity. Mercury does have several mare-like plains and craters, which are named after deceased artists, musicians and authors. Mercury does moon-like highlands. Due to its lack of atmosphere, Mercury is the second hottest planet, with the first being Venus, who does have an atmosphere. Considering how it lacks an atmosphere, Mercury would have a dark sky, which is actually the space. Size and distance Mercury does have 1,516 miles, which is equal to 2,440 kilometers. Mercury is a little more than 1/3 the width of Earth. Mercury is the smallest planet, but actually not the smallest celestial body in the Solar System. Mercury would be followed by Mars, the second smallest planet. With an average distance of 36 million miles, which is equal to 58 million kilometers, Mercury is 0.4 astronomical units away from the Sun. 1 astronomical unit is the distance from the Sun to Earth. It takes sunlight 3.2 minutes to travel from the Sun to the planet Mercury. Internal structure Mercury appears to have a solid silicate crust and mantle overlying a solid sulfide outer core layer. Mercury is one of the four terrestrial planets, along with Venus, Earth and Mars, which have rocky bodies. Its core has a higher iron content than that of any main planet in the Solar System, and theories proposed to explain this. Like the terrestrial planets, Mercury is composed of 3 layers: *'Crust: The outermost and smallest layer of Mercury. *'Mantle:' The middle layer of Mercury. *'Core:' The innermost and largest layer of Mercury. Moons Unlike most of the planets, Mercury is one of the only planets to lack from natural satellites, the other being Venus. The reason why Mercury lacks of natural satellites can be explained; Mercury is very close to the Sun to have a natural satellite, either the moon could crash in Mercury or it will be pulled into the Sun. Venus' lack of moons remains as a mystery. Planetary system Mercury is one of the 8 main planets in the Solar System. Mercury is the smallest terrestrial planet and also smallest in the 8 planets from the Solar System. In the common order, Mercury is the first planet in the Solar System, being the closest to the Sun itself. Landmarks Gallery File:Mercurytexture.jpg|Mercury's texture map. File:Mercuryenhanced.jpg|Mercury in enhanced color, imaged by MESSENGER at 2008. File:Mercuryblue.jpg|Mercury's surface, but with false colors. Trivia *It is labeled as The Swiftest Planet. *Mercury is coloured with brown at times, representing the fact that Mercury is visible with grey and brown color to the humans. *Mercury's lack of atmosphere causes Venus to be hotter, which has an atmosphere. All of this is called Greenhouse effect. Category:Planets Category:Terrestrial planets